


Bound Together

by afteriwake



Series: Not According To Plan [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, F/M, Mycroft Feels, POV Alternating, Rushed Weddings, Unplanned Pregnancy, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-20 07:23:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4778564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anthea and Mycroft get ready for their wedding separately, each having their own set of thoughts before the ceremony that will tie them together legally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And I'm finally getting back to this series (I missed it so much). This particular fic is an answer to a prompt from **theconsultingkingslayer** that said " _Anthea and Mycroft getting ready for their wedding separately and meeting at the church for the ceremony._ " I thought it would be nice to make this a long fic, and alternate the POVs (it's Anthea's in the first part, Mycroft's in the second and then back to Anthea's in the third). Hopefully you guys will enjoy it (and I'll finish it quickly).
> 
>  **Edit:** There is now a Russian translation of this fic, courtesy of **Nastya_books**! You can find it [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/4240726).

She smoothed down the dress she was going to wear to her wedding. She, like many other girls, had envisioned a huge ceremony, with multiple attendants and the pews filled with family and friends, all eager to see her marry the man she loved. There would be flowers and it would all be lovely. It would take months to plan, of course, and it would all be perfect.

Knowing her, knowing the way her life would be, she should have expected it would all be different.

The ceremony was large enough, and she had attendants. She’d become friendly with both Molly Holmes and Mary Watson in her time observing them for Mycroft, and so they’d agreed to be her attendants. Her sister was her matron of honor, and that had pleased her more than anything else in the world. So she had at least that much. Mycroft had his brother as his best man, with John Watson and Greg Lestrade as his groomsmen. She didn’t mind the small wedding party because it was better than the attendees.

She did have friends there, people who were, while surprised when they actually met her paramour, were genuinely happy for her, that they were tying the knot and she would get what she had hoped for. But the rest of the pews would be filled with a collection of political allies and people too important to rebuff. Most would be there because they were important pawns to be used at a later date. A marriage, even carefully planned at such short notice to appear to be a casual decision, was an important event, and political games thrived on those.

But here, now, in the home she would no longer need after today, she felt calm. Safe and protected from the wolves who flocked for a bite of the happy couple. Molly was doing wonders with her hair and she paused for a moment. “Andrea, are you all right?” she asked quietly. The women all had permission to use her real name while in private; after all, they were friends.

She nodded just slightly, not wanting to disrupt the curlers. “Just distracted a bit, that’s all,” she said. She glanced around her bedroom, looking at the things boxed up. For the moment they would all go into a spare bedroom at Mycroft’s home until they could be shifted into the bedroom upon their return from their honeymoon. Her furniture was being sold or given away, except this bedroom set, which was a gift from her father before he passed; Mycroft had assured her it, too, would be moved into the spare bedroom to be used by their child when she was old enough, should they be fortunate enough to be having a girl. The fact he had thought of that had warmed her heart a bit, even if he didn’t know that.

“He cares,” she said softly, setting her hands on Andrea’s shoulders. “I know it’s not the same as love, but coming from a Holmes, it’s an awful lot.”

Andrea set a hand on top of one of hers and squeezed. “I know. And I saw that Sherlock learned to love you. I have hopes the same can happen for Mycroft as well.” 

Molly turned her hand and squeezed back before she lifted her hands up and Andrea pulled hers away. She set the last curler in her hair and then motioned to the dress. It had been her mothers, and she was thankful she wasn’t showing enough that she could fit into it. It was a white lace and organza dress, with a sweetheart neckline that molded to her breasts and cap sleeves made out of lace, It was mostly lace at the bodice, and it went down and molded to her hip before falling gently to the floor. Lace trimmed the bottom of the gown, and it had a small train. There had had to be a few alterations, but not many, and as her sister had already gotten married in a gown of her own this was now hers to keep. “You should put it on now.”

Andrea nodded and then stood up. She had on a rather nice lingerie set, white lace and satin that had been a gift from her mother to wear with the dress so it wouldn’t show, and when she slipped the dress on and got zipped up she was pleased to see her mother had been right. She admired herself in the mirror for a moment. She thought she was doing the right thing, making the right decision to marry Mycroft, but she wasn’t sure. Reassurance wouldn’t hurt. She looked at Molly through her reflection in the mirror. “Am I making the right decision?” she asked quietly.

Molly looked at her, standing on her tiptoes and resting her head on Andrea’s shoulder. Andrea felt the small round of Molly’s baby bump pressing into her side and felt a strengthening of a bond with her. Soon enough, they would be related. Molly would be another sister, even if it was only by marriage. And she would understand better than her own flesh and blood the position she was in. “I think you are making the logical decision,” Molly said after a moment. “And I think, in time, you might find it was the right decision, too.” She gave Anthea a smile. “Mycroft is a quick learner. It’s a trait that runs in the Holmes family. It’s the stubbornness you have to watch out for.”

Andrea laughed a bit and then turned and embraced Molly. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I am too,” Molly said, embracing her back. When she let go there were tears in her eyes. “Now we have to be careful or we’ll ruin our make-up.”

“Wouldn’t want that,” Andrea said. She gave herself one last look in the mirror before her attention was drawn elsewhere. She would have sworn she would have felt nerves, but instead she felt a rather utter sense of calm. She did love Mycroft, even if he did not love her back, and she knew he would keep his promise to try his best to learn to love her. She could count on him for that.


	2. Chapter 2

Mycroft ran his finger around the collar of his shirt. He wore ties all the time but today it felt too tight. It felt like a noose. He supposed all grooms felt that way, but this was a situation most grooms didn’t find themselves in. Most grooms were in love with the woman they were marrying. And while he cared for Andrea greatly, more than he had ever thought himself capable of, he did not love her. And so he was starting to think that, perhaps, he was making a mistake.

“Loosen it,” Sherlock said quietly.

“Then it won’t look right,” he replied, scowling at his brother slightly.

“Trust me on this,” Sherlock said, looking at his brother from the other side of the table they were sitting at. John and Gregory were talking quietly amongst themselves at the set of chairs in the room at the church where the groom was to wait to be called, leaving the two brothers to each other’s company. “You can tighten it just before you go out there.” Mycroft looked at him skeptically, and then loosened his tie a bit. Immediately it felt better and he sagged in the chair slightly. “You aren’t making a mistake, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Mycroft asked.

“I know you think you are making a mistake because you aren’t madly, passionately in love with her,” Sherlock said. “But you care, right?”

Mycroft nodded slowly. “I do.”

“How much do you care?”

Mycroft thought for a moment. He hadn’t really thought about that because no one had posed the question to him before. Most other people had not known the extent of their relationship and had never posed the question, and he had just assumed that those who had had thought so long as Andrea was happy he cared enough. And Andrea…Andrea was content with the level of caring he had towards her and never asked him to define it. He cared for Andrea more than he had ever expected to care for any person in the whole of the world. She was the most important person in his life. “Enough that I would do whatever she asked of me to make her happy. I would give her whatever she asked, no matter what it cost me.”

“That’s close to love,” Sherlock said. “When you think of the other person over yourself, that’s a sign of love.”

“Do you think I love her?” Mycroft asked, tilting his head slightly. He would be surprised if his brother answered in the affirmative. He couldn’t love Andrea…could he? Was he so damaged that he wouldn’t know if he loved this woman who had taken a chance on him?

“I don’t know,” Sherlock said. He leaned back in his seat. “I know when I realized I was in love with Molly it was just something I _knew_. I’d suspected it, started to feel it for weeks before it just hit me. So you may be getting there. And that’s a good thing. You care, and you care a lot, and it will hopefully grow as more time goes on.”

Mycroft steepled his fingers together in front of his face. “So one day it will just hit me out of the blue?” he asked.

“Probably,” Sherlock said with a nod. “That’s the way it usually goes, from what I understand.”

“And if I do feel that way, when should I tell her?” Mycroft asked.

Sherlock tilted his head from side to side as he thought for a moment. “Molly said it was something she knew from early on, and it just got stronger and stronger until she couldn’t keep it to herself and she blurted it out,” he said. “But if she hadn’t said it first I was probably going to say it to her. I think I was waiting for a perfect moment, though, and there really isn’t one. That’s something I’ve learned. It’s best not to wait. You never know what will happen in life.”

Mycroft nodded. He had never expected to have a woman want to share his time with him, to share his bed with him. He had never expected a woman to want to be a part of his life, even if they had had to keep their relationship to themselves. And from that relationship, he had never expected to have a person want to commit to him, wholly and completely. And most importantly, he had never expected to be a father. None of this had ever occurred to him to be things he would have in his life, so he knew well that surprises were around every corner.

There was a knock at the door and all four of their heads popped up. The wedding planner stuck her head in as well as her wrist and motioned to the watch on it. Mycroft stood, adjusting his tie. This time, it didn’t feel quite so tight. He turned to Sherlock. “Well?”

“I’m sure she’ll approve,” he said with a nod.

Mycroft nodded back and then made his way to the door, with his attendants following him. As he made his way to the altar to await his bride and her attendants, he tried to clear his mind. Soon enough he would need to focus on his vows, on making promises he had every intention of keeping to the woman who meant the most in the world to him, and he wanted to make sure he remembered every moment of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The vows used by Mycroft and Anthea were a combination of two vows i found [here](http://jiactiongroup.com/funny-wedding-vows-examples/funny-wedding-vows-examples-simple-concept-24-on-home-gallery-design-ideas/) and [here](http://lyssabeths.com/blog/wedding-vows-wednesday-112713/).

The music picked for her to walk down the aisle was very traditional. It was expected, of course, considering that Mycroft Holmes was one half of the couple getting married. He stood at the altar, being careful not to fidget, and when the beginning strains were heard the doors at the back opened and the first attendant stepped through. Mary walked down the aisle, smile on her face, walking at a rather stately pace. It was very obvious she only had eyes for her husband; even after all this time, after everything, it was still quite apparent the two of them were quite in love.

Molly came down next, and Sherlock perked up when he saw her. She moved a bit more awkwardly, as she had insisted on wearing heels as well, but she too had on a wide smile. She made her way down the aisle with her bouquet of lilies and orchids in hand, the turquoise empire waist dress she wore similar to the ones worn by Mary and Andrea’s sister, though with a few differences to accommodate her expanded abdomen. She made her way up to the altar with the men and then gave Mycroft a very warm smile.

Andrea’s sister came down the aisle next. She seemed pleased to be there, happy for her sister, and that was good. That was what Andrea needed. This was a day for celebration, after all. Whether she actually _was_ happy or not she was keeping it to herself and both Mycroft and Andrea were glad for that; any reservations could be shared later. After a suitable pause the flower girl, Andrea’s eight-year-old niece, came down the aisle, enjoying every single bit of attention heaped her way, and then finally it was Andrea’s turn.

Everyone in the church turned and stood as Andrea and her mother stood at the church doors. She seemed so calm, so sure of herself, as they made their way down the aisle to the altar. She caught glimpse of Mycroft’s face halfway down and her smile got wider. Despite it all, despite there being so much about this ceremony that wasn’t typical, that wasn’t _really_ authentic, he still had the look of pure amazement that most grooms seemed to have upon seeing their brides for the first time.

She made it to the altar and then leaned over to give her mother a kiss on the cheek before her mother went to go sit down. The officiant began to go into his bit about the sanctity of marriage and all that. Neither Mycroft or Anthea were particularly religious, but they had been told it was part of the ceremony at the church. The only reason they had chosen this church was it could hold all their witnesses and Andrea had promised her mother she would be married there, as her father had wished for it. They had been told, however, they could write their own vows if they so chose and they did not have to be religious. They both had been thankful for that.

When it got time to state the vows, they turned to each other, placing their hands in each other’s hands, and looked in each other’s eyes. Andrea knew he wasn’t entirely comfortable with public displays of affection, but Mycroft was handling this well. He spoke first. “Today, I come to this place as a man standing alone,” he said. “I will walk from this place by your side as your husband. I promise to love, respect and honour you, share your plans and interests, ideals and emotions, through all the trials and tribulations of life, as well as the joyous times, caring for you in a lifelong commitment. I promise to be your confidante, always ready to share your hopes, dreams and secrets. Today, I cross the threshold of my new life into an everlasting union with you. I commit myself as your husband for all time.”

She gave him a smile at that. The promise to love her was there, even if she knew he didn’t quite yet, but she knew he would try. She gripped his hands a little more tightly as it was her turn to speak. “Today, I come to this place as a woman standing alone,” he said. “I will walk from this place by your side as your wife. I promise to love, respect and honour you, share your plans and interests, ideals and emotions, through all the trials and tribulations of life, as well as the joyous times, caring for you in a lifelong commitment. I promise to be your confidante, always ready to share your hopes, dreams and secrets. Today, I cross the threshold of my new life into an everlasting union with you. I commit myself as your wife for all time.”

This time it was Mycroft who smiled at that. He knew Andrea was the type who never reneged on a promise she made. It was not her style. And if he was not capable of loving her the way she deserved, then the breaking of the promise was on him, not her. She would uphold her promise to the end. After a moment the officiant instructed them to get the rings. Mycroft removed his hands from hers and took her ring from his brother and then, carefully slipped it onto Andrea’s finger while saying “With this ring, I thee wed.”

When he was done. Andrea went and got his ring from her sister and then gently picked up his hand and put his ring on his finger. “With this ring, I thee wed,” she said, looking Mycroft in the eye.

And with that, it was nearly done. When the officiant announced them husband and wife, Mycroft reached for her, pulling her close. “We’re bound together now,” he said softly.

“Yes, I suppose we are,” she said quietly, a small smile on her face before he leaned in to kiss her. It wasn’t precisely a chaste kiss but it was not as passionate as some they had shared. But there was a hint to more to come, when they were alone…something they were both sure they were equally eager for, despite earlier nervousness.


End file.
